Recent linux convert needs help on sys specs

[dfi]

I've come to realize how cool linux is very recently, and I am planning on building a linux box. A CHEAP linux box. What are some good CHEAP parts to get? How fast of a computer do I need?

Personally, I was thinking somewhere along the lines of a pentium 200 with 64mb ram or something like that? I just want to get a barebones system that is really cheap, and consumes very low electricity so I can run it 24/7. I want to ssh into the linux box with my windows machine. But I also heard that I can use the X window system on linux, and then use gdm to access it on my winXP machine. Is that system spec good enough for me to, say, host a personal website? (Keep in mind, I'm probably going to be the only person checking this website anyways.)

Think CHEAP! Thanks.

dfi

 

[Derango]

You can host a web site on that, although I wouldn't count on it working if your traffic gets really heavy. 64Mb of ram and a p200...hmm....X windows isn't going to be your best option there. Its going to strain in that 64MB of ram. I would reccomend keeping it CLI only and sshing in. If you up the ram to 128, then things might be different. It would also depend on the amout of memory your graphics card will have.

But for a command line only low scale web server, you'll have no problems on that configuration.

 

[dfi]

So if I used 128mb of ram I might be ok? I want to use X windows through winXP, cuz it just looks so cool. Plus I want to control everything through from one monitor/keyboard/mouse. I heard you can do this through gnu desktop manager. If that's the case, then I just need to make sure that my winXP system has a fast vid card right?

dfi

 

[Hector13]

<< So if I used 128mb of ram I might be ok? I want to use X windows through winXP, cuz it just looks so cool. Plus I want to control everything through from one monitor/keyboard/mouse. I heard you can do this through gnu desktop manager. If that's the case, then I just need to make sure that my winXP system has a fast vid card right?

dfi >>



I might be wrong here, but I think you should be okay with 64 if you are not using x-windows on the linux box. If instead you are using something like exceed (I x server for windows), you should be okay.

 

[Derango]

<<

<< So if I used 128mb of ram I might be ok? I want to use X windows through winXP, cuz it just looks so cool. Plus I want to control everything through from one monitor/keyboard/mouse. I heard you can do this through gnu desktop manager. If that's the case, then I just need to make sure that my winXP system has a fast vid card right?

dfi >>



I might be wrong here, but I think you should be okay with 64 if you are not using x-windows on the linux box. If instead you are using something like exceed (I x server for windows), you should be okay. >>



Hmm....I didn't think of that. Your winXP system should be fast enough to do what you want it to do. If it can run XP, it can run X-windows in XP I would still reccomend 128MB of ram...but thats just me. You could get by on 64 probably. And you can always add more.

 

[Armitage]

I run RedHat 7.2 on a PPro200 with 128MB & an 8MB graphics card. KDE is a bit slugish, but usable, so if you went with a lighter window manager it would be good.
64MB is pushing to run X, but again, a lightweight desktop would be very useable.
CLI will be no problem at all.

 

[Hector13]

<< I run RedHat 7.2 on a PPro200 with 128MB & an 8MB graphics card. KDE is a bit slugish, but usable, so if you went with a lighter window manager it would be good.
64MB is pushing to run X, but again, a lightweight desktop would be very useable.
CLI will be no problem at all. >>



Again, it seems to me that if all you are doing is connecting over a client like exceed (in passive mode), you wont need to run any x server (or window manager) on the linux box. You wont get to use the KDE/gnome/blackbox or whatever interface, but you can use xterm or any x clients (as long as they don't require QT or GTK, I think).

 

[dfi]

Hrm, thanks for all the help. I think I'll go with 128 ram. Maybe more if I can convince all my friends to donate their old ram.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more linux queries once I get things up and running.

dfi

 

[jhu]

actually if you are going to have x window display to your windows machine, you'll still have to use a window manager which will be running on the linux machine

 

[Hector13]

<< actually if you are going to have x window display to your windows machine, you'll still have to use a window manager which will be running on the linux machine >>



Are you sure about this? I thought that exceed acted as your "x server" (as long as you are using passive mode). In query mode (single windows mode), you would be using the windows manager on the box, but I think in normal (passive) mode, you don't.